Dances With Demons
by TaleBearer
Summary: Now that Zakuro is believed to be a traitor by all youkai, he has to get out of town for a while. He takes a short vacation at the Oasis Bar, owned by a lady with a sharp eye for peculiar visitors....


41

DANCES WITH DEMONS

Author's Note: Lord Zakuro is the creation of Kazuya Minekura. No copyright infringement is intended.

Nikki sat at her usual table in the corner. It was Thursday and the younger crowd made up about a third of the bodies at the tables and on the dance floor. Summer evenings brought them in like swarms of fireflies. They came in a swirl of twinkles and laughter, bought a round or two, watched themselves posing or dancing, and then they blew out again in search of another party, another stage, another audience. Nikki scanned the crowd again, looking for older faces, trying to spot the potential government narcs that might be lying in wait to catch an underage sale that slipped through.

It had been a fairly slow night, which was a mercy. She'd felt like putting on her own clubbing clothes, a wine-colored leotard with long sleeves, a black wraparound skirt, and black tap shoes without the taps. A neat French braid kept her long black hair back from her face and showed off her chandelier earrings. The darker colors and her position out of the main seating area protected her from drawing the kind of attention any single woman would get in a nightclub.

The harmony of dance music, chatter, and glasses rattling changed. Some darker note had entered, moving through the fireflies like a shark through a shoal of minnows. Nikki spotted the figure of a man drift into the main crowd, moving in from the direction of the side entrance. Two other men followed him, one to each side, hanging back just a little. By the first man's confident stride and the way the other two kept looking in every direction, Nikki guessed them to be some celebrity type and his bodyguards. Interesting. The security team at the door must have cleared him, but a peculiar shiver moved up and down Nikki's spine. She took a sip from her neglected vodka tonic, grateful for the melting ice that would dilute the vodka's kick and leave her sharp enough to deal with whatever had just entered her club.

The ebb and flow of the fireflies changed. The swirling stopped, leaving a number of the girls posing with their attention fixed on the stranger and his guards where they now sat at a table just off the dance floor. Nikki stared at him, willing him to lean into the pools of light to either side of him thrown by the recessed lighting in the ceiling. He kept to the shadows. That table was part of Christy's station. The tall blonde cocktail waittress appeared at the stranger's side, offering him her usual bright smile, standing in one of the columns of light that helped her see to jot the order on her pad. Nikki watched Christy closely. Her smile stayed steady. Christy filled the order, returning with two bottles of beer and something turquiose-colored in a highball glass. The guards drank their beer straight from the bottle. When the stranger reached for his glass, his hand moved into the light, letting Nikki see his long, elegant fingers. His palm and the back of his hand were encased in a black leather racing glove.

Denied a good look at the main attraction, Nikki stood up and made her way around the dance floor, keeping her ear tuned to the chatter at the tables she passed. It took a few minutes, but awareness of the stranger and his guards began to spread. She kept hoping to hear a name, but nobody knew who he was. As Nikki drew closer to the stranger, she got a clearer look at his guards. The one guard's hair looked like every strand had been spun from pure silver, a full head of it that hung long on his shoulders and hid his ears. The other guard's shaggy mop was a deep blue. Both guards wore plain black t shirts and black jeans. Not Goth, not punk... Nikki's curiosity doubled with every glimpse she got. Who were these guys?

Nikki waited at the end of the bar closest to the stranger's table until Christy came back from taking another order.

"Hey, boss." Christy greeted her with a grin. "Looks like you're on the prowl. What's up?"

Nikki tipped her chin toward the three strange men. "Those guys don't look like our usual crowd. Anything about them you think I need to know?"

Christy pursed her cherry red lips. "Well... The guy in the middle is the boss. No doubt about that. He's got one of those voices, all low and slow, know that I mean?"

Nikki nodded. "And the other two? Bodyguards?"

"Maybe. One called the boss 'my lord.' They're some kind of servants, I'd guess."

"Ah. So he's out on the town with his own little entourage, is that it?"

"Could be."

"Were they polite? No roving hands, none of that?"

Christy grinned. "They're not looking for a working girl. They're too busy watching all the social butterflies."

"Figures." Nikki frowned, wondering what the best approach would be. "What did His Lordship order?"

"A sea witch."

"Rum and blue curacao? That's odd."

"Wait til you get a close look at him." Christy glanced back at the strangers' table. Even though the three men sat a good fifty feet away across one corner of the dance floor with the noise level at the usual uproar, Christy still leaned closer and lowered her voice. "This is just a guess, but those two pretty boys with him might be his dates. I can't tell about this one."

"Oh, great. The ones we can't classify are the ones we usually have to watch."

"He's worth watching. But only from a distance."

"Christy?" Nikki put her hand on Christy's arm. "Are you afraid of him?"

"I don't know." Christy shrugged. "Be careful, OK? If you have to go talk to him, take it really easy."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Nikki let her go. Now that was very interesting. Christy had worked some of the hardest dives in the city. Almost nothing could rattle her nerves, yet something about this stranger was getting her back up. Nikki signaled the bartender for another v&t, then stood there sipping it while she watched the fireflies start to drift closer to the stranger's table. Little idiots. Just like moths to the flame.

The stranger stood up. As if by his command, the current song ended, leaving a slight lull in the general noise. He walked out onto the dance floor, into the crossfire of laser lights and disco ball glitters and overhead spots. Nikki gasped. His hair. Deep lavender, shiny and silky and curling down over his ears to the middle of his shoulderblades. He glanced upward, just long enough for the lights to catch his eyes. Emerald. Pure, deep green. The little voice in the back of her mind made a snide comment about hair dye and custom contact lenses. Nikki ignored it.

The stranger wore an ivory silk pirate shirt, its sleeves billowing slightly from the tight cuffs. The open collar bared a deep vee of his chest, showing a nice amount of muscle. Black leather pants hugged his hips and thighs. He knew how to make an entrance, pausing for a moment in the center of the dance floor, just long enough for everyone to notice him. Then he turned, held out his hand, and walked toward one of the fireflies. Not a day over sixteen, coppery red hair in a natural spiral perm drawn up into a high ponytail, wearing a green dress with handkerchief skirt and sleeves. A lovely child, more wood nymph than teenager. Too bad she blew it, giving him the deer in the headlights stare before her hand rose to clasp his. He whirled her ahead of him out to the center of the floor.

The music kicked in again, slightly mellower, but still rock and roll. Nikki watched, mesmerized, as the stranger moved like there were no solid bones in his body. She'd heard about 'lithe grace,' but this was something else. It was clear he was holding back for the sake of his partner, moving slowly enough so she could keep up with him and not risk the embarrassment of stumbling. That won him a few points in Nikki's mind. That he was a good ten years older than the redhead cost him a few. She had zero tolerance for the kind of man who preyed on underage females.

The stranger kept the redhead out there with him for two more songs, then made a show of taking her arm and leading her back toward his table. The redhead hung back, saying something to him. The stranger nodded and let her go. The redhead ran across the dance floor to a table nearby and chattered to the two girls sitting there. They rose at once and followed her to the stranger's table. Nikki nodded, relieved. The redhead was smart enough not to go anywhere with the stranger alone, not even to another part of the dance floor.

"Nikki?"

She turned to see Gus, second in command of the bouncers, standing there. Gus had the old-maid-ish habit of drywashing his hands when he was nervous. On a man well over six feet tall with more muscles than the human body should be able to carry, it looked peculiar. It was also a bad sign.

"What's up, Gus?"

"We've got some bad boys in tonight. They're causing trouble with the waittresses."

"So toss them out."

"It's not that simple. One of them is claiming some kind of diplomatic immunity."

"Make him show you his passport. If it's U.S., or he doesn't have one, toss him."

"He's demanding to see the owner. Says if we lay a hand on him or any of his people, he'll sue us so hard we'll have to sell ourselves into slavery to pay our debts."

"He said that?"

Gus nodded, his hands churning away at each other. Nikki sighed, downed the last of her drink, and flagged down Christy.

"Keep an eye on His Lordship. If he or his men do anything to those girls that you don't like the looks of, come and get me right away."

"You got it. Where will you be?"

"Just listen for the shouting."

"Uh oh."

Nikki followed Gus to one of the semi-private booths on the upper level. Eight young men who looked like extras from a low budget yakuza movie sat sprawled out on the couchettes. Bad suits, sloppy haircuts, and some of the ugliest ties Nikki had seen on either side of the Pacific. It was easy to spot the boss. He sat upright, his cigarette in an ornate jade holder. He wore his black hair long, swept back on the sides, with just enough of a manga bang hanging in his eyes to make him look cool. His suit cost four figures and hung on him with the precision that marked expert tailoring. Nikki walked right up to him and glared down into his lovely almond eyes.

"I am Monica DeVere. I own this club. Is there a problem here?"

The oyabun-wannabe looked her over, taking his time, mapping out her figure inch by inch. That was an old tactic, one that Nikki had learned to ignore a long time ago. She gave him a sweet smile and signaled Gus.

"Call down to the police substation for their on-duty translator, won't you? I think we're having a failure to communicate."

"There's no need for that, Miss DeVere." The man crushed out his cigarette, tucked his jade holder into the inner pocket of his blazer, then stood up. They stood eye to eye, making Nikki glad she'd worn her heels. "Your security staff are a bit too zealous in the pursuit of their duties. They also lack anything resembling a sense of humor."

"Are you responsible for these men?" Nikki waved a hand at the sterling examples of insolent youth dropping cigarette ash all over the good carpeting.

"They are members of my household, yes."

"Your household? I believe you said something about diplomatic immunity. Would you please be kind enough to show me your passport?"

"Of course."

He reached into another inner pocket and held it out. Japan. Mizutani Shunsuke. Nikki was relieved to find his name spelled out in Roman letters alongside the Japanese kanji. She saw nothing to indicate he was anything more important than a businessman out on the town.

"Mizutani-san, while I am honored that you chose to spend your evening here in my club, I must ask you to understand this is not a hostess club. The waittresses here are employed to take drink and food orders and to deliver those orders. They are not companions in any sense of the word."

Mizutani-san arched one elegant eyebrow. "Well! How nice to meet an American woman who understands the proper protocols, both for business and more social matters."

Nikki kept smiling, gritting her teeth at his condescending tone. "I am a great admirer of Japanese culture, Mizutani-san."

"Are you, DeVere-san? Then will you tell me why your bar does not stock even the humblest brand of sake?"

Nikki's smile turned genuine. Now she had him. "Ah, but it does, Mizutani-san. In a special cabinet marked 'Owner's Reserve.' Perhaps we can put this temporary misunderstanding behind us and drink a toast to crosscultural communication?"

Mizutani-san's lips twitched, then he gave in and returned her smile. "That is most gracious of you, DeVere-san."

He snapped an order in Japanese at his men, who promptly sat up straight and at least tried to look more respectable. Nikki turned to Gus.

"Have Evan break out the highest grade Takara we have. And bring enough cups for everybody."

Gus nodded and rushed off.

"Tell me something, DeVere-san," Mizutani-san said. "Is that man what is termed a 'bouncer'?"

"That is correct, Mizutani-san."

"Hm. Am I right in thinking the main qualification is size, rather than intelligence?"

Nikki looked him in the eye. He was baiting her, treading on the very edge of being offensive. "The proper balance of both traits is something I strive for in all of my security staff." She nodded at his men. "I'm sure you can sympathize, Mizutani-san."

That got a laugh out of him. "You are a remarkable woman, DeVere-san. I'm grateful that events have brought us together."

"You speak English so well, Mizutani-san. May I ask where you went to school?"

"I graduated from Tokai, but I spent four years at Yale. I had considerable opportunity there to practice my English."

Nikki studied him more closely. If he'd gone to Yale, odds were good he'd studied law. She could think of few things worse than a yakuza lawyer.

"Your father must be very proud to have such a hardworking son. Is yours a family business, or have you built your own career?"

Mizutani gave her a slow smile that told her he knew she was fishing, but he'd let her get away with it. "A little of both, DeVere-san. From time to time I help my father on a consulting basis."

"Will you forgive me my gaijin bluntness if I ask what business you're in?"

"Imports and exports."

"Ah, now that is fascinating. The paperwork involved can be so tedious, what with tariffs and customs and quotas and all that."

Mizutani's eyes narrowed. "Tell me, DeVere-san, is this club your main business venture? You strike me as a woman who could rule an empire of diversified interests."

"You flatter me, Mizutani-san. At the moment, this club is indeed my only venture."

Evan, Nikki's number one bartender, arrived, carrying the pottery flask of Takara's best. Behind him came Angie and Christy, who were by far the two prettiest cocktail waittresses working tonight. Nikki silently blessed Evan's sense for these things. It was important that the male employee bring the sake. It was more important that the pretty girls serve it. Once the flask was opened and the first cup poured, Nikki turned to Mizutani.

"Mizutani-san? Onegaishimasu."

Mizutani's brows shot up. "Beautiful, educated, and you can speak Japanese with a good accent?" He shook his head. "Oh, DeVere-san, you make me wish I could convince my father to let me marry a gaijin."

"Domo arigato gozaimashite, Mizutani-san."

"Doh itashimashita." Mizutani-san sipped the sake, then smiled. "Excellent."

He gestured to the seat beside him. Nikki perched just on the edge, which allowed her to face him while making it almost impossible for him to do what he was clearly waiting to do, which was to put his arm around her. At Nikki's nod, Evan poured for the rest of Mizutani's men, who were torn between staring at Nikki like she was some kind of mutant and just plain staring at Angie and Christy. Once the drinks were handed round, there were many shouts of "Kampai!" and it wasn't long at all before Mizutani called for a second flask. Evan shot Nikki a worried look, but she just gave him the nod.

"If I might make a suggestion, DeVere-san?"

"By all means, Mizutani-san."

"What you need in this place is a karaoke set up. Nothing makes a Nihonjin happier than a good enka ballad when he's homesick."

"That's a very good idea, Mizutani-san. Should I have it available every night, do you think? Or only on certain nights?"

Mizutani scowled, pursing his lips. "I think, DeVere-san, you should pay attention to what is happening in the business community. When a delegation of Nihonjin are coming to your lovely city to do business, find out when they'll be in need of entertainment for the evening and let it be known you specialize in the kind of thing Nihonjin really enjoy." He fitted another cigarette into the jade holder. The closest of his men sprang forward to light it for him. "A little creative advertising should put the word out to the right people, hai?"

Nikki looked at him with new respect. He had just given her an extremely valuable piece of advice. Given the way Japanese businessmen tended to reciprocate hospitality, Mizutani-san would be sure to mention the name of her club to any of his countrymen who would be coming to this area on business.

"Thank you, Mizutani-san," she said softly. "I really appreciate your thoughtfulness in giving me such good advice."

Evan came back with the second flask. Christy stood off to one side, holding her tray flat against her chest, giving Nikki a hard stare with no smile. Nikki rose at once.

"Mizutani-san, would you please forgive me? I'm afraid the pressures of business are calling me."

Mizutani rose with stately grace that prevented Nikki from estimating how drunk he might actually be. "It has been a great pleasure to meet you, DeVere-san. I hope we may enjoy another chat soon."

"That would be wonderful, Mizutani-san. Perhaps before you return home?"

"I will look forward to it."

He held out his hand to her. A little surprised, Nikki took it. Instead of shaking her hand, Mizutani brushed a light kiss across her knuckles.

"Enjoy the rest of your evening," Nikki said. "If there is anything else you might like, just say so." She gave Evan a pointed look, then added, "You are here as my guests."

Mizutani let go of her hand and stepped back, then made her a formal bow. His men followed his lead, all of them rising to make formal if slightly wobbly bows. Mizutani understood she was thanking him in a more concrete fashion by putting his evening on the house. With a pang of regret, Nikki followed Christy back to the bar.

"What's up?"

"You called it. His Lordship is doing something weird."

"You mean kinky?"

"No. Just—weird. Come and see."

On her way back to that part of the main floor, Nikki collared Josh, one of the lighter weight but no less effective members of her security staff. A shade under six feet, built lean and solid, Josh held upper division belts in karate and judo. His ordinary looks and talent for blending in made him an ideal agent for surveillance from inside the crowd.

"How'd it go with Riki Takeuchi and his boys?" Josh asked.

Nikki grinned. The reference to one of Japan's most famous yakuza movie actors told her Mizutani and his attendants had made the same first impression on Josh as they had on her.

"Once I broke out the good sake, they decided to behave themselves."

"So what have we got over here?"

"I'm not sure. We'll get close, pretend we're just each other's date, and listen for our cue to intervene."

"Roger that."

Nikki took a table that left just one other empty table between her and the men with the colored hair. The redhead still sat with His Lordship, staring at him with such rapt fascination Nikki wondered if she was stoned. The two other girls with her had their hands full fending off the aggressive flirtation of the two guards while at the same time shooting anxious looks at the redhead. Nikki closed her eyes and strained to focus on His Lordship's voice. Low and slow, Christy had said. She finally caught it, a rich baritone that poured across the auditory nerve like hot fudge over brown velvet. A powerful voice, one used to being obeyed. A voice that could sucker the innocent into walking right off the edge of a cliff.

"We should bust him for his voice alone," she muttered.

"What's he saying?" Josh asked.

"He's just talking. Something about a field of daisies, warm sunshine, a lake with clear water..."

"Whoa!" Josh yelped. "The redhead's trying to strip!"

Nikki opened her eyes. Sure enough, the redhead was pulling at the shoulder of her dress. Her eyes still had that fixed, blank stare.

"Something's wrong. Either he doped her drink, or he hypnotized her, or something."

"Do we move in?" Josh unclipped the cell phone from his belt and snapped it open.

"Not yet. How do we bust the man for having a sexy voice and spouting inane poetry?"

"How long do you want to wait?"

"Until somebody yells for help, which shouldn't be long now."

The two girls who were with the redhead looked more and more distressed. The blonde slapped the guard crowding her and stood up, taking the redhead by the arm.

"Candy? Candy, come on! Wake up!"

"Sit down." His Lordship spoke in a tone that tolerated no argument.

"I've had enough of you freaks!" the blonde cried. "I don't know what you did to Candy, but we're leaving!"

His Lordship rose. "You will leave when I say you will leave." He stepped closer, glaring into the blonde's eyes. "You really want to stay, don't you? You've never met people like us. You think he's hot, don't you?"

His Lordship waved one hand at the silver-haired guard, who picked up on the cue and rose, sliding his hands around the blonde's waist and pulling her back against his chest. Now she had that poleaxed look. She turned to the guard and a strange smile spread across her face.

"There now," His Lordship said. "That's better. You don't want to leave. You want to stay right here with us."

"That's it. I've heard enough." Nikki stood up, grabbed her latest untasted v&t, and stormed across the floor, angling to come up behind His Lordship. He'd just turned his attention back to the redhead. Nikki caught the end of what he said to her.

"...that's right, my beauty. You want to go swimming in the pretty lake. Just take off your dress and dive in."

The redhead had both hands behind her back, fumbling with the zipper on the dress. Nikki moved up behind His Lordship and let out a screech, staggering forward to crash into his back and dump her drink down the collar of his pirate shirt. The man spun around faster than Nikki could blink and grabbed her by the arms. Those green eyes were ablaze with rage.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Drawing your fire."

She broke his grip on her arms, relieved to sense Josh only a step behind her. She pushed past His Lordship and clapped her hands twice right in front of the redhead's face. The girl barely registered the sound, pulling her head back as her eyelids fluttered. Nikki turned back to His Lordship.

"What have you done to this girl?"

"Not a thing. Just a little friendly conversation."

"Is that a fact." Nikki picked up the remains of the redhead's drink and handed it to Josh. "Go get this checked."

"Will you be OK?"

"I'll be fine." Nikki glared into those furious green eyes. "I'll keep His Lordship here company, since these girls are going home."

She reached out to the third girl, a thin teenager with brown hair and a terrified look. The girl jerked out of the blue-haired guard's loose embrace and huddled against Nikki, who patted her back.

"It's all right now. Have you got a cell phone?"

The girl nodded.

"Call your parents. Have them come pick you up."

"They—they think we're all at Candy's house."

"How old are you?"

"S-sixteen."

"Right. Listen to me. I'm going to put the three of you into a taxi and send you back to Candy's house. Don't let me see your faces in here again, understand? Not until you're legal."

The girl nodded, her expression a mixture of shame, gratitude, and intense relief. Gus and two other bouncers appeared at Nikki's side.

"Can we be of any assistance?" Gus asked.

"See these ladies out. Call them a taxi and tell the dispatcher to charge the bill to my club account. Warn the driver that if anything happens to these girls between this club and their door, I will own him, body and soul."

Gus grinned. "Yes, ma'am!"

His Lordship spoke up. "By what authority do you assault me and then ruin my evening?"

Nikki turned and gave him what her staff referred to as the Death Glare. "I am the owner of this club. I don't know what you did to these girls, but if you have any sense, you will leave."

She turned toward the door, intent on observing the girls to try and figure out exactly what His Lordship had done to them. A hand wearing a racing glove came down on her shoulder.

"Very well. The little girls can go. But you and I aren't done talking to each other."

Nikki clamped her hand over his, curled her fingers around the base of his thumb, turned into his guard, and twisted his wrist. The control hold never failed. His Lordship went down on one knee before her. The two guards sprang to their feet, reaching for her.

"No!" His Lordship's command stopped them. Those green eyes studied Nikki. A faint smirk tugged at one corner of his lips. "Rather aggressive flirtation style you have there."

"I'm not flirting with you."

"But you are holding my hand."

"Only because it makes it that much easier to break your arm."

Something in those green eyes changed. The smirk vanished.

"Very well," he said. "Here I am, at your feet. Won't you relent?"

Nikki let go of his hand, taking a wary step back as he rose to his full height. "You have received the only warning you're going to get. Do anything else I don't like and my security staff will see you out."

His Lordship laughed. "I'm sure they'd do their best."

"You really think you're something, don't you?" Nikki turned her back on him and started toward the door.

"Please."

Nikki paused. His Lordship kept his distance, but that hot fudge voice reached out to her.

"I don't suppose you'd permit me to apologize?"

Nikki swung around to face him. "For annoying me, or torturing those girls?"

"Both."

"Maybe you should start with a proper introduction."

"Of course." He sketched a bow. "I am Lord Zakuro. These are my men-at-arms."

Men-at-arms? The last time Nikki heard that term, she'd been fourteen and her cousin was trying to teach her how to play Dungeons & Dragons.

"Titled nobility?" she asked. "From what country?"

He gave her another slow smile. "A rather small kingdom, in the Far East. Very few Westerners have heard of it."

"Try me."

"Shangri-La."

"As in, the mountains of Tibet?"

Now Lord Zakuro arched one lavender brow. "You mean you have heard of it?"

"I've done a lot of traveling."

"Apparently so." He twitched his shoulders, then reached behind him to peel the damp silk away from his back. "I'm afraid I'm not at my best at the moment, something I sorely regret, given the novelty of this encounter." His eyes narrowed. "What prompted you to spill that drink down my back?"

"What you were doing seemed to require a certain amount of concentration. I hoped that by breaking your concentration, I might also break whatever spell you'd cast over those girls."

"Strong, lovely, and observant." Lord Zakuro looked her over, charting her figure much the same way Mizutani had done. While Mizutani meant to intimidate her, Lord Zakuro looked like he might really be interested. "Will you honor me with the favor of your name?"

"I'm not sure I should tell you, Your Lordship. Knowing someone's name can give you a certain amount of power over that person."

Lord Zakuro shrugged, wincing as his damp shirt slid over his back. "As you wish. Perhaps I shall simply refer to you as 'La Belle Dame Sans Merci.' It means--"

"I know what it means. And I know the reference." Nikki put her hands on her hips. "If I really was without mercy, I'd have thrown you and your friends out on your peculiar ears by now."

That won her another bow.

"Besides," she added. "I believe you've got things backward. In the poem, the lady was fey, and the knight was human."

"You think I'm fey?"

"I don't know what you are, but that's a good starting point, especially since you seem to enjoy casting a glamour."

Again something in Lord Zakuro's expression changed. "How is it that a lady of this modern era is so well acquainted with the ancient ways?"

"In my line of work, you meet all kinds of people." Nikki surrendered to temptation and reached out, running her fingertip along the lavender hair spilling down over his shoulder. "You're living proof of that."

Lord Zakuro held her gaze for a long moment bfore he spoke. "You're doing it again."

"Doing what?"

"Touching me." He pitched his voice low and soft. To Nikki it felt like being stroked by warm hands. "Come now, formidable lady. You're wise enough to be safe from me. Tell me your name."

"Monica DeVere."

"An elegant name. One that harks back to nobility itself, yes?"

"That was in my great-grandmother's time."

"You say that as if you have no claim to her title." Lord Zakuro spread out his hands, indicating the club. "And yet you rule over this impressive domain."

Nikki felt herself starting to thaw toward him. He was a charming devil, and he seemed to respect her understanding of the signals he was giving off regarding the possible source of whatever he'd done to those girls. Until the toxicity report came back on the redhead's drink, Nikki gave herself permission to play along.

"You offered to apologize, Lord Zakuro. I don't think I've actually heard you do so yet."

He flashed her a grin that showed her how thoroughly he was enjoying himself. He held out both hands. All too aware of Christy and the other waittresses watching every moment of this bizarre exchange, Nikki placed her hand in his.

"Mistress DeVere, I, Lord Zakuro, am truly sorry for committing an offense against your hospitality. I confess my earlier misbehavior arose mainly from boredom."

"No excuse."

"True. But now I think you can rely on me to behave myself."

"Oh? And what guarantee do I have of that?"

He kept her hand between his, looking down at her from his greater height, his lavender hair spilling forward over his shoulders, his green eyes alight. This close to him, Nikki could see just how handsome he really was. His shirt had soaked up all the liquid from her drink, leaving the silk plastered to his torso. A lovely sight it was, his figure slim with excellent definition.

"You yourself," Lord Zakuro murmured. "Thanks to your most stimulating conversation, I find myself feeling far from bored."

"Can I ask you something?"

"By all means."

"Why is your hair this color?"

"You don't like it?"

"Lavender happens to be one of my favorite colors. But it's not exactly the most macho color you could choose."

Lord Zakuro snorted. "I have no interest in such neanderthal methods as 'machismo.' I look the way I do because I was born this way."

Nikki frowned, puzzled. She studied at the hands that held hers. Lord Zakuro had long nails, well manicured, of a length to make most women jealous. She looked at his mouth. His lips were neither too full nor painted, but something drew her attention there.

"Let me see your teeth."

Lord Zakuro burst out laughing. "What am I, a horse you're planning to buy? Please, dear lady, there are better ways for us to get acquainted."

"All I'm asking for is one of those bright, sexy grins." She held his hands a little tighter. "You can do that for me, can't you?"

Lord Zakuro's laughter faded. Her coaxing tone caught him, sharpening his interest in her. He bared his teeth at her in a grin that was more intimidating that sexy. Nikki kept the alarm off her face. Sure enough, his canines were longer than they should be.

"You have fangs, my lord. Is that also natural, where you come from?"

"As a matter of fact, it is. Something about that distresses you?"

"Tell me, are you a Goth?"

He chuckled, low and harsh. "I am what all Goths wish they could be."

Oh good. Now they were getting into the freaky territory. And to think Nikki had started to feel some sort of attraction to Lord Zakuro. She still did, but long and painful experience had taught her to keep counting red flags whenever they appeared.

"Forgive me, Mistress DeVere," Lord Zakuro said. "I find myself so enthralled by our discussion that I've forgotten my manners. Will you join me? Perhaps allow me to offer you something to drink?"

Nikki let him to guide her to the chair he himself had occupied earlier. That was elegant. He wasn't crass enough to make her sit in the same seat as his previous object of interest. A sudden strange inspiration shot through Nikki's pixilated brain.

"How do you feel about sake, Lord Zakuro?"

"I enjoy it. Hot in the winter, cold in the summer. Why do you ask?"

"This is a strange evening for chance meetings. Not long ago I was having an intriguing conversation with another man who claimed diplomatic immunity from the attentions of my security personnel."

"Indeed? Here?"

"Yes."

"I trust you sorted him out with the same skill that you've brought to bear on this situation?"

"If you mean did I dump my drink down his back, no, that wasn't necessary."

"Oh dear. So already I compare unfavorably with this fellow. I'll just have to work harder to make up for that."

Christy appeared, her smile firmly in place but her eyes fixed on Nikki, waiting for any kind of signal.

"Will you allow me to order for us, my lord?" Nikki asked. "I have something in mind I think you might enjoy."

Lord Zakuro took her hand and raised it to his lips. "That makes two of us, sweet lady."

Nikki just managed to avoid rolling her eyes, then turned to Christy. "Over the Rainbow. Four."

Christy nodded. "Would you care for any appetizers with that?"

"Are you hungry, my lord?"

"Oh yes." He stared at her over her hand, which he still held near his lips.

"Right." Nikki leaned forward to speak to the guard sitting on the other side of Lord Zakuro. "Would you care for something to eat?"

The guard said nothing, looking to Lord Zakuro for guidance.

"They're always hungry," Lord Zakuro said.

Getting no further input as to preferences, Nikki took a wild guess that none of the men were vegan.

"Chicken strips, seasoned fries, and the teriyaki skewers."

Christy nodded, scribbling on her pad. "Coming right up."

When the drinks arrived, Lord Zakuro picked up his glass and held it up to the light, examining the different bands of color that marked the layers of different liquers.

"Amazing," he said. "You have indeed put a rainbow in a glass. May I ask what the ingredients are?"

"Blue curacao, Green Apple liquer, Chambourg and something with coconut to make it white."

"I see why the serving girl suggested ordering some food. All this on an empty stomach will put a lesser man on the floor." He took a sip, then made a face. "Rather sweet for me, I'm afraid."

Nikki just smiled and stared at the two guards until they gave in and followed their master's lead. Neither of them appeared to enjoy the drinks either. When Christy returned, laden with dishes of food, Nikki rose to help her set them down on the table.

"The gentlemen don't care for the Rainbows. Bring them another round of their previous order."

"Will do."

"And take their glasses to the lab," Nikki murmured in passing. "Fingerprints."

Christy gathered up the Rainbows and hurried off to the bar. Nikki took her seat again next to Lord Zakuro. At his nod, the guards attacked the food. Lord Zakuro reached out to toy with one of Nikki's earrings, just tapping it with the end of his long fingernail, making the crystals swing and flash.

"Would you care to dance, Miss DeVere?"

"You know, I believe I would. In fact, I'll even ask the DJ to play one of my favorite songs."

"Excellent." He rose and offered her his arm. Nikki accepted it, wondering at the power she felt in the tendons of his forearm. Lord Zakuro glanced back at his men. "Stay there. Eat. Leave the women alone."

"Yes, my lord."

"As you wish, my lord."

Lord Zakuro took Nikki out onto the dance floor. She made her way to the DJ station. Tyrone was rocking out, punching buttons and fiddling with knobs.

"Hey, boss lady! What kind of action you got tonight?"

"I have no idea, Ty. Give me Benatar, 'Hit Me With Your Best Shot,' then 'All Fired Up.' If things look like they're going well, I'll want 'We Live For Love.'" She glanced back at Lord Zakuro, who simply stood in the middle of the dance floor while the other dancers kept moving to the beat.

"You tryin' to wear that boy out, boss?"

"I want to see what he's got. He looks good, but can he keep up with me?"

Ty grinned, flashing his one gold canine. "You go, girl! Make him work for it!"

"One more request. If he gives it his best, let's wrap it up with Bob Seger's 'Shame on the Moon.'"

"Good choice, boss."

"Thanks, Ty."

"Hey, boss?"

"Yes?"

"The crew an' me were wonderin' about this. Is it OK with you if we get a little action goin' on this guy?"

Nikki laughed. "Yes, Ty, you can place your bets on me and my 'date.' I won't kick anybody's ass for it this time."

Another golden grin. "You're the best, boss. Let me put the word out while you warm up, OK?"

"Go for it."

Tyrone got "Hit Me" fired up. Nikki turned to face Lord Zakuro. She took a deep breath, pulled her shoulders back, held her head high, and advanced on him, making it clear by her walk that this was a challenge. He read her body language and smiled, a slow sweet blossoming of delight curving his lips and giving her another glimpse of those fangs. Kissing him would be a trip, no doubt about it. The opening notes of the song slammed into being and Lord Zakuro strode forward to meet Nikki, his left hand catching her right as his right hand slid around her waist. Then they were off. They were partners, he was leading, and Nikki found herself enveloped in his strength and power. When he spun her out and away, she went. When he brought her back in, she obeyed the tug on her hand.

The song ended. Only then did Lord Zakuro give Nikki a moment to stand still and catch her breath. The dance floor had cleared, the crowd pressing in all around its borders, clapping and cheering and calling for more.

"You're good," Nikki said.

"I get better."

The next song kicked in. "All Fired Up" was everything Nikki loved in a song. Good lyrics, excellent melody, and a beat that drove her insane. She dodged Lord Zakuro's reaching hands. This time he got to follow her lead, and woe unto him if he couldn't keep up. Feet, legs, hips, ribs, shoulders, arms, hands, and head. Every part of her was alive, wild with energy and on fire to dance. Nikki let out a shriek of delight, feeling her skirt whirl out around her legs, baring her right thigh to the hip, making Lord Zakuro's green eyes flash and crackle with the heat blazing up in them. He managed to hook one hand around her waist and they whirled around each other, eyes locked, feet hammering out the shared rhythm. When the acapella chorus hit, the crowd clapped along, making an even stronger beat capture Nikki's soul. She let out a whoop and spun back into Lord Zakuro, grabbing his shoulders and springing up to lock her legs around his waist. She flashed him a split second grin and let go, falling backward, trusting him to catch her. His hands closed on her shoulders, his long nails digging in. His face above her was set with concentration, but his eyes were blazing with pure emerald fire.

It was good, it was wild, but Nikki didn't lose sight of being right in the middle of her workplace under the astonished eyes of her staff. Josh and Gus stood in front of Tyrone's DJ station. Gus's jaw hung open. Josh was grinning like a fool, sticking two fingers in his mouth to blow a wolf whistle. As the song began to fade, Nikki caught Lord Zakuro's shoulders again and unlocked her legs. His hands on her waist kept her up against him, her feet not quite touching the floor. He let her slide down his body, a slow full frontal caress that left Nikki with a bad need to run her hands up and down those leather-covered thigh muscles.

"You are amazing." Lord Zakuro trailed one fingertip down the side of her face, wiping away a trickle of perspiration. He brought that finger to his mouth and drew his tongue from base to fingertip. "All that, and you taste good too..."

Nikki touched his collarbone and ran her fingertips down the open front of his shirt, picking up sweat beads. She swept her tongue along her fingertips, pleased to see a flush spread up across Lord Zakuro's face as he watched her, his eyes fixed on her mouth.

"Hm," she said. "Salty, a trace of vodka, with a hint of lime."

Lord Zakuro frowned and pulled his shirttail out of his black leather pants, shaking out the still damp silk. A wedge of lime hit the floor at his feet.

"Ah, so that's what that was."

He tucked his shirt back in, making the silk strain across his shoulders. It was all Nikki could do to keep herself from ripping the silk apart so she could run her hands over the muscles in his shoulders and back.

Tyrone was waiting to see if he should play the third song. Nikki was breathing harder, her body warm and loose and ready for more.

"Now that we know what we can do," she said, "shall we really pour it on?"

"You want to do more than dance, pretty lady." Lord Zakuro leaned in close to breathe his words against her ear. "Say the word and I'm your slave."

Nikki closed her eyes, feeling a shiver sweep over her. Lord Zakuro, gorgeous, powerful, hot and strong and hungry, on his knees, wrists shackled, at her mercy...

"Tyrone!" she yelled. "Hit it!"

The sweet strains of Nikki's favorite song, Pat Benatar's "We Live For Love," filled the air. She stepped into Lord Zakuro's embrace.

"Consider the word said."

Lord Zakuro flashed her a sharp, predatory grin, then they were off again, whirling to the music, bodies pressed tight together with a heat that threatened to make their clothes catch fire. He swung her up across his shoulders, then brought her down so she slid into a perfect glide, one leg extended, head back. He lifted her back up again, holding her close, then found a moment in the music for a good old-fashioned dip. It felt so good to just lean back in his arms and go with it. Lord Zakuro bent his head, making all that lavender silk fall down over her breasts and the naked skin of her neck. His lips touched the hollow of her throat. His tongue painted a perfect circle, hot and wet, on her skin. Nikki moaned. Lord Zakuro answered her with a deep, feral growl. The vibration of it resonated in her bones, igniting deeper fires inside her and rousing the kind of need Nikki tried so hard to keep locked away. It had been a long time since she'd met the right kind of bad boy who could give her a hard ride into ecstatic oblivion.

As the final notes faded, Lord Zakuro brought her back up out of the dip. Nikki stared into his eyes, wanting to kiss him so badly it hurt.

"One more," she whispered. "A slow one."

"Anything you want," he said. "Anything at all."

"Tyrone!" she cried again. "Play me the Moon!"

The easy rock rhythms of "Shame on the Moon" began. The gentler pace of the song and the fact that Nikki and Lord Zakuro were sealed together in the kind of embrace that meant no more wild moves brought other couples out onto the floor. This was what made Nikki's life worth living. Music and dancing and people who loved both, everybody moving to the same rhythm, close and happy and the cares of the world far away. She laid her head on Lord Zakuro's shoulder and sighed a deep, happy sigh.

"I want to see you with your hair down," he said, stroking her braid. "All this glorious black silk, falling across your naked shoulders and spilling down between your breasts..."

"Yes," Nikki breathed.

Lord Zakuro held her so close, no words, no weirdness, just the heat of his body against hers, those green eyes blazing down at her, those lips... Nikki lifted her chin, letting her eyes drift closed as Lord Zakuro's lips touched hers...

"May I cut in?"

Mizutani stood behind Lord Zakuro, smiling a lopsided smile and swaying slightly on his feet. The sight of him hit Nikki like a bucket of ice water. The last thing on earth she needed right then was a yakuza lawyer who was drunk off his ass picking a fight with the mysterious Lord Zakuro.

Lord Zakuro spared Mizutani the briefest glance over his shoulder. "No, you may not."

Before Lord Zakuro could whirl Nikki away to another part of the dance floor, Mizutani's hand came down on Lord Zakuro's shoulder. "Down" was a relative term. Lord Zakuro had a distinct height advantage, forcing Mizutani to reach up slightly to make the gesture. Adding force to the gesture was the sudden appearance of four of Mizutani's men, ranged around Mizutani in a square that enclosed Lord Zakuro and Nikki as well. Nikki looked up to see Lord Zakuro's green eyes narrow. One corner of his upper lip lifted in a sneer that was more of a snarl, showing one of those fangs.

"This is the man I mentioned earlier," Nikki said. "The one who tried to claim diplomatic immunity."

"Ah," Lord Zakuro said. "My rival. Fate is playing games tonight, it seems."

"The lady and I have a previous engagement." Mizutani reached past Lord Zakuro to curl his fingers around Nikki's upper arm.

"Mizutani-san," Nikki said, "you and I have only the most informal hope of seeing each other again before you return to Japan."

"Come on, koishii," Mizutani chided with a smile. "Don't play hard to get." He looked Lord Zakuro up and down, then smirked. "Especially when you're dancing with this okama."

Nikki had a sudden intense desire for a taser. Bad enough Mizutani had the nerve to call her his lover. Nikki glanced up at Lord Zakuro, praying he wouldn't understand Mizutani had just used the gutter slang term for a homosexual. If Lord Zakuro did know what the word meant, he wasn't reacting to it, maintaining the same expression of steadily growing hostility.

"Get lost. The lady is with me."

Mizutani laughed. "You can't give her anything but dancing lessons, pretty boy."

Nikki jerked her arm out of Mizutani's grasp. She raised one hand over her head with two fingers extended, signaling to the security teams watching that this was a Code Two, meaning call the police and tell them potential gang confrontation in progress. That was accurate enough. Lord Zakuro's men had seen what was happening. The crowd on the dance floor thinned out as the ordinary people sensed trouble and got out of the way. Lord Zakuro's men split up, coming at Mizutani's men from opposite sides. Mizutani's men all had one hand hovering just inside their suit jackets, which told Nikki they were carrying weapons. Maybe not firearms, but for trained martial artists, no gun was necessary. If Mizutani and his boys really were yakuza, it was more than likely they were all carrying anything from shuriken to wakizashis.

"Mizutani-san, you are drunk. Go back to your hotel and sleep it off."

Mizutani tsk-tsked. "You American women, always so bossy."

Lord Zakuro reached out one long-nailed hand, curled his fingers into the front of Mizutani's expensive designer shirt, and lifted him up off the floor, leaving his feet dangling.

"I don't like your attitude. Leave while you can still walk."

Mizutani's men rushed forward. Lord Zakuro's guards pounced, each one catching two of Mizutani's men and banging their heads together, leaving them slumped like piles of wet laundry on the dance floor. Nikki just stared, trying to comprehend the speed and strength she'd just witnessed.

Lord Zakuro barked an order at his men in a language Nikki didn't recognize. They sprang forward to catch Mizutani as Lord Zakuro dropped him.

"Strip him," Lord Zakuro said. "Let's see who his family is."

Mizutani thrashed in the guards' grip, swearing in a blistering stream of Japanese. One guard cuffed him across the back of the head, a mild blow by the look of it but clearly hard enough to leave Mizutani stunned into submission. The guards tore off Mizutani's suit jacket, then the shirt as well. Across Mizutani's chest a magnificent tattoo showed Kintaro riding a great golden carp. The colors of the inks were rich enough to take Nikki's breath away. Lord Zakuro made a noise of disgust and reached forward to jerk Mizutani's head up by his long hair.

"Tekiya yakuza. You scum preyed on your own people's starvation and desperation in the years after you fools managed to lose that stupid war."

"Who are you?" Mizutani demanded. "What family are you from?"

Lord Zakuro smiled. The sight of that sent a chill down Nikki's spine.

"A family far older than yours, you bastard child of corrupt shopkeepers."

Mizutani wrenched against the arms pinning his own. Lord Zakuro's guards looked like they held him as easily as they would a child. Mizutani snarled again in Japanese, his rising fury making Lord Zakuro laugh.

"Are you so proud of your colors, little man? You wear the image of a hero. False colors, then. These inks will smear once your blood is spilled."

Nikki planted herself right in front of Mizutani, glaring up into Lord Zakuro's eyes.

"Enough! The police are on their way. Call off your men this instant."

Lord Zakuro took Nikki's chin in his hand. "So there is mercy in your heart." He chuckled, shaking his head. "This is out of your hands. Stand back and let me see to him."

"Not in my house. Not under my roof." Nikki held her ground, watching the rest of the bouncers and other security staff converge on the dance floor. "You and I were having quite a moment there, but I can and will protect this man from you."

Lord Zakuro laughed, throwing his head back and making his long hair swish and gleam. "Ah, little paladin. You have no idea who you're talking to."

The blue-haired guard let out a sudden cry of pain, clawing at the two throwing stars now embedded in his back. Mizutani pulled a foot sweep on the silver-haired guard that dropped him onto his back. One of Mizutani's remaining three men came rushing forward out of the shadows to drop an elbow strike on the silver-haired guard, catching him in the stomach, all the air gusting out of him as he curled up around the pain. Another yakuza rushed at Lord Zakuro, holding a ninjato like he knew how to use it.

"911!" Nikki bellowed. "Code Three! Code Three! Clear the building!"

Even as Nikki's security staff came charging toward her, they obeyed her command and changed direction, focussing on the screaming, panicking customers and guiding them out through the nearest exits. Josh kept coming straight for her.

"Duck!" he yelled.

Nikki dropped flat. Josh leaped into the air. Nikki heard his flying kick connect and the answering grunt of pain from whoever had been rushing up behind her. She glanced back to see the third yakuza shake off the attack and lunge at Josh, walking right into a spinning back kick. The two squared off in classic stances. Nikki scrambled up onto her feet and ran for the main bar. If the yakuza were going to pull weapons in her club, they'd find out they were up against trained resistance.

One of the yakuza Lord Zakuro's guards had put down snagged her ankle, tripping her up. His partner rolled over on top of her. Metal clicked and flashed. Nikki felt the cold steel of a butterfly knife press into the skin of her throat.

"Be good, gaijin," the man snapped. "No scars on that pretty face."

Cursing a blue streak behind her clenched teeth, Nikki obeyed the silent commands of the hands that lifted her back up onto her feet.

"Hey, okama!" the man with the knife barked. "We got your bitch!"

Lord Zakuro loomed over Mizutani, who was on his knees again, staring at his arm and slapping at it with his free hand. Nikki watched Lord Zakuro. Just as she thought, he was speaking. By the venomous look on his face and Mizutani's raw panic, Lord Zakuro's words were the stuff of nightmares. When Lord Zakuro didn't respond, the man with the knife spoke to his partner in rapid, oddly accented Japanese. The second man hurried forward, one hand reaching for Lord Zakuro. Nikki waited, counting heartbeats. The second man's fingers touched Lord Zakuro's arm. Lord Zakuro rounded on him, eyes ablaze, fangs bared, lashing out with one clawed hand. That yakuza went down in a spray of blood.

Just as Nikki hoped, seeing his partner go down under the fury of whatever Lord Zakuro really was left her captor distracted enough to ease up on the pressure of sharp steel against her throat. She shoved her left hand up between the blade and her throat, slammed her right fist into the man's groin, then as the pain doubled him forward she whipped the back of that same fist up into his nose. Bone cracked and blood gushed. Nikki threw him off and charged for the main bar. She rolled over the top and dropped into the safety behind it then lay there, sucking in breath after breath. She fished out the little brass key she currently wore pinned inside her bra. The key opened the weapons cabinet. Inside lay a Glock, a Tech-9, four throwing knives, six throwing stars, a dart pistol fitted with tranquilizer darts, and a long dagger that could double for a short sword. There was also a box of latex gloves. Pulling on a pair, Nikki chose the tranquilizer pistol.

A scream of unholy anguish rose above the noise of the crowd running for the exits. Nikki took a cautious peek over the edge of the bar. Lord Zakuro once again stood over Mizutani, beautiful and terrible in his wicked glee, all that lovely lavender hair hanging down over one shoulder while he worked his hellish magic on the writhing, twisting figure of the Japanese man. Mizutani's eyes were open so wide the whites showed all around. He kept flailing at something that he must have thought was trying to attack his legs. Nikki knew right where to plant the first dart. She took careful aim and fired, hitting Lord Zakuro in the neck just below his ear. He clapped his hand to his neck, pulled out the dart, then flung it away, turning back to his victim. Ten seconds later he swayed, then his knees gave and he collapsed.

The blue-haired guard had gone down under the yakuza assault, but the silver-haired one was still fighting, caught inside a circle of three. Nikki eased out from behind the bar, slipped through the shadows between columns of light, and shot the guard first, then all three yakuza. Last man standing was Josh himself, who dropped his current opponent with an old-fashioned right hook. Nikki rushed over to Mizutani. He still looked like he was on a really bad acid trip.

"Youkai!" he wailed. "Youkai!"

"What do we do with him?" Josh asked.

Nikki frowned. "I can't trank him without knowing whether or not Lord Zakuro really is using some kind of drug. Did the toxicity report on the redhead's drink show anything?"

"It was clean."

"Damn." She looked down at Mizutani. "Well, we can still put him out of his misery. Knock him out."

Josh dragged the whimpering, babbling Mizutani up into a sitting position just long enough to hit him with an right cross that silenced him.

"Boss?"

"Yes, Josh?"

"What the hell is going on?"

"Damned if I know." Nikki pointed to Lord Zakuro. "Stash His Lordship in my office. Tie his boys up and park them somewhere they won't be discovered."

The sound of sirens reached her through the open doorways.

"When the cops get here, let's give them as much of the truth as we can. The yakuza blew in for a night on the town and wouldn't keep their hands to themselves."

Josh nodded. "Gonna be tough to keep all the loose ends tied up on this one."

"One step at a time. People are very good at convincing themselves they couldn't possibly have seen something they really wish they hadn't."

An hour later Nikki sat behind her desk, staring at Lord Zakuro where he lay sprawled on her couch. The bastard was even more alluring when he was asleep. No sneer, no snarl, no evil glee as he used some fool's own mind against him or her. His head was turned toward her. One hand had slipped, leaving his arm hanging off the couch with those long nails just scraping the carpet. He looked sweet and boyish. Nikki found herself rising to move around her desk and kneel beside him, smoothing a stray lock of lavender hair off his cheek. The more she touched him, the more she wanted to touch him. It had felt so good, so hot and wild and right, dancing with him.

Those green eyes opened. Lord Zakuro focused on her, then smiled.

"See?" he whispered. "You can't keep your hands off me."

"True." Nikki ducked her head with a guilty laugh. "It's all your fault for being so sexy."

Lord Zakuro just lay there, looking into her eyes. After a moment his hand rose to glide back over her hair. Nikki obeyed the gentle pressure of his hand and bent forward. Their lips met, a soft, searching pressure that rekindled the heat between them. His mouth opened under hers. He breathed in, drawing her tongue into his mouth. Heat lanced through Nikki, melting her very bones and making her sag against his chest. Lord Zakuro sat up. Dazed by the kiss, Nikki couldn't resist when he lifted her up to straddle his lap.

"There now." He set his hands on her thighs, sliding his palms up to her hips, clasping her bottom and pressing her down against the impressive bulge caught inside all that black leather.

Nikki gasped, her head falling back. Lord Zakuro kissed her throat, trailing just the tips of those long nails across the nape of her neck. Nikki shivered, wondering if those fangs were real, and if they were... She grabbed his shoulders and pushed him back.

"Wait a minute. I want to get a few things straight before this goes any farther."

Lord Zakuro sighed. "You think too much."

"It's a bad habit that has saved my life more than once."

"Fine." He let his hands fall.

Nikki eased up off his lap and took her seat behind her desk. Lord Zakuro scratched at the spot where the dart had hit him.

"Am I right in guessing I have you to thank for that?"

"I told you I'd protect Mizutani-san."

Lord Zakuro laid his arms along the back of the couch, making the ivory silk pull tight across his pectorals and triceps. He stared at her with narrowed eyes.

"Why am I here?"

"I thought you'd prefer being here to being hauled off to jail by the cops."

"I take it they took out the trash for you?"

"If by that you mean Mizutani-san and his men, yes, they were arrested." She stood up and put her hands on her hips, giving him the Death Glare. "There's only one reason why I kept them from busting you and your handmaidens too."

He smiled. "You want to take up where we left off?"

"I want to know what the hell you really are. Claws? Fangs? Superhuman strength and speed? Are you some kind of mutant like those X-Men?"

Lord Zakuro shook his head. "Nothing so modern, I'm afraid. My men and I are something far more ancient. Something that has left your kind cowering in fear from the earliest days when you sat huddled in your little caves dressed in the skins of lesser animals."

"Stop being a smart ass and answer the question."

"Oh, but I have." He stood up, giving her that grin that showed off his fangs. "I am what your kind calls a demon."

Nikki sighed. It had already been a long night, and what she'd just heard told her it was far from over. She took her seat again, pulling out a drawer and propping her feet up on it.

"What is a demon lord and his personal bodyguard doing in a nightclub on the far side of the world from his own land?"

Lord Zakuro shrugged. "I enjoy the nightlife here in your country. It's very different from what we have back home."

"I doubt that. Drinking, dancing, and trying to get laid are pretty much universal pursuits."

Lord Zakuro stared at her for a moment, then burst out laughing. "Damn, woman, but I do like you. It's rare to meet a lady who sees so clearly and so far."

"Butter me up all you like, I'm not falling for it."

He cocked his head at her, looking like he hadn't heard right. "But, if I covered you with butter, you'd be extremely slippery. Quite an intriguing thought."

"English isn't your first language, is it?"

"You don't speak English. You speak American."

Nikki reached for the phone and lifted up the receiver. "You are a heartbeat from spending the night behind bars."

"Shall we get down to what really matters here?" Lord Zakuro put both hands flat on Nikki's desk and leaned toward her, smiling down at her. "You've already admitted you've never met the like of me before. I'm delighted to tell you the same is true for me. I have never met a woman as fascinating as you are."

"Oh please."

"The strength and skills of a warrior, yet the beauty and softness of the sweetest goddess." Lord Zakuro looked her over, licking his lips. "Where do you get all this, I wonder?"

"I come from a long line of soldiers and cops. I don't like guns and I don't like killing, so I couldn't really be part of the family business."

"And yet you're a formidable fighter."

"I've inherited a bad temper and good reflexes. Formal martial arts training seemed the sensible way to go."

Lord Zakuro perched on her desk and reached out to touch her braid, leaning back on one elbow so he could trail his fingertip all the way down to the end. That left him in a pose that put everything he had on display.

"Let me put this another way. I want you. Just dancing together left us both so hungry for each other I can still scent the need on you." He kept stroking her braid. "You know in your heart that you've never had it like you could have it with me."

Nikki wasn't buying most of what he said, but that was pure gospel. "It's been my experience that anything that seems too good to be true usually is."

"That's where I'm different. I'm not good. Some would surely call me evil. So you see, what you just said doesn't really apply."

"I'll say one thing for you. As bullshit artists go, you're an absolute master."

"That's fear talking." He stroked her braid again, whispering under his breath. "You're just putting off the moment of truth."

"And what truth would that be?"

"When I leave here, it would be wiser for me to never return. Too much trouble tonight, too many people who won't forget what they saw." He gave her that slow, sexy grin. "Carpe noctem, as the nightwalkers say."

Nikki became aware of her hair spilling loose down her back. Lord Zakuro had done nothing but stroke her hair with his fingertips, yet the braid seemed to have unplaited itself.

"Nikki," he whispered. "It's been too long for you. Let me soothe the ache inside you."

She wanted him. She wanted him so bad it really was becoming pain, that ache low in her belly, made up of emptiness and sore muscles and nerves that had been coaxed only halfway to satisfaction.

"Don't you remember?" Lord Zakuro asked, turning on that hot fudge voice again. "I said to you, 'Say the word,' and you told me, 'Consider it said.'"

"That's true..."

Lord Zakuro smiled. "It's been ages since I've wrestled with a beautiful woman. Wouldn't it be lovely, just you and I, lying there on a big bed covered with a thick layer of rose petals, red and yellow and pink and white, crushing them under our bodies as we roll back and forth..."

The scent of roses filled Nikki's mind. She could feel the weight of Zakuro's body against hers, their legs entwined, his hands in her hair and his tongue in her mouth, rose petals clinging to her naked skin...

"You want me," he whispered. "Even now your heart pounds, your blood heats, and you can feel the sweet honey gathering between your thighs, making you ready for me..."

The longer Nikki looked into his eyes, the more her body yearned toward him. Her nipples were hard points outlined clearly against the clinging material of her leotard. She shook her head, trying to focus. She still sat behind her desk. Lord Zakuro now stood before her, reaching down to pull her up into his arms.

"You can feel it, feel the heat gathering low in your belly, that delicious pressure that builds and builds and builds until--"

Nikki's hand jerked, reaching for the bud vase sitting on her desk. Lord Zakuro caught her wrist, bringing her arms up around his neck.

"Not again," he chided, grinning. "I've only just dried out." His hands slid down her back to her hips. "Come on, Nikki." He sank down onto both knees before her. "I'm your slave. Tell me what to do."

Nikki set her hands on his shoulders and started tugging at the ivory silk, pulling it up inch by inch. Lord Zakuro stared up into her eyes, freeing his belt, unzipping his fly, letting his shirttail hang loose. Nikki worked the shirt up over his chest. He slipped his arms out, then pulled the shirt off over his head and flung it aside. Nikki moved around behind him, trailing her fingertips over his shoulders, along the muscles in his shoulderblades. She gathered his long lavender hair into one hand and held it out of the way so she could scatter kisses down the back of his neck. Lord Zakuro moaned, reaching back to sink his hand into her hair and pull her forward over his shoulder. He turned his head to meet her with a kiss that left her breathless.

"Stand up."

Lord Zakuro rose. Nikki led him out from behind her desk, over to the couch where there was more room. He stood before her, naked to the waist, his long silky lavender hair hanging in his eyes, his black leather pants now riding even lower on his hips.

"You want me naked?" she asked.

"Oh yes." A warm flush spread up his neck, tinting his cheeks. "Yes, mistress. Please."

Nikki held her arms out from her sides. "Then make it so."

Lord Zakuro slid the tip of his forefinger in between the waistband of her skirt and her belly. He ran that finger around the inside of the waistband until he found the tie just above her right hip. A quick tug failed to free the bow. Nikki smiled, wondering how long it would take him to figure out she'd double-bowed it to make sure it held, even out on the dance floor. Lord Zakuro muttered under his breath. Her skirt fell away.

"That's cheating," Nikki said.

"Demons don't play fair," he replied. "It's contrary to our nature."

"I see."

"So do I." Lord Zakuro looked her up and down, his eyes alight. "Now this is a most fascinating garment."

"It's called a leotard."

"Very nice. Is it supposed to look like you've simply put on a new layer of skin that's a different color?"

A laugh burst out of Nikki. "That wasn't my primary purpose, but it is a nice effect."

"How does one remove this? Skinning you strikes me as less than romantic."

"The material stretches. Quite a lot, as a matter of fact."

Nikki peeled one sleeve down her arm, then the other, revealing her black satin bra. Lord Zakuro drank in the sight of her just one step away from being half-naked. He curled his fingers into the material of the leotard on either side of her waist and slid it down her legs. Nikki stepped out of it, then took hold of one bra strap.

"Now this--"

"I know about these." Lord Zakuro's arms slid around her waist, his hands gliding up her back to the clasp of her bra. He was nose to nose with Nikki, staring into her eyes, his lips quirked in that wicked half-smile. He freed the clasp, then stepped back to spin Nikki around and pull her back against him. He curled his fingers under the straps and slid them down her arms just far enough so she could let her bra drop the rest of the way. The warmth of his palms covered her breasts. He pressed soft, nibbling kisses to her shoulders. One hand slid down her belly. With his forearm across her hips, he held her tight against him, bending over her and pressing her bottom against his own hips, against the iron hard strength of his desire for her. He bent her over even farther and ran his hand up the inside of her right thigh.

"Another layer? I begin to think you must be part lamia, the way you keep shedding your skin."

Nikki lifted her foot so she could tap one finger against her shoe. "Do you know how these work?"

Lord Zakuro straightened up, pulling her with him, then planted a trail of wet kissed down her spine before turning her to face him as he knelt before her. He lifted up her foot and set it on his bent knee, freed the buckle that held the strap across her instep, then took off her shoe and tossed it aside. When he'd removed the other, she took his hands and set them on the waistband of her pantyhose. The tip of his tongue showed between his teeth as he worked the filmy material down her legs, finally tossing it aside as well. Lord Zakuro stood up, grinning down at her from what was now revealed as his even greater height.

"So," he said. "As we strip away the layers, the true self is revealed."

"Now you're the one who's talking too much."

"A thousand pardons, mistress. Have you any thoughts about how I might put my mouth to better use?"

"Kiss me."

Lord Zakuro sank his fingers into Nikki's hair and tilted her face up to his. His mouth claimed hers, warm and strong and sweet. Nikki reached up to wrap her arms around his neck. Their difference in height made her back arch, pressing her breasts against his bare chest. Lord Zakuro drew his long nails up her spine, sending a hot tingling through Nikki's every nerve. His tongue thrust between her lips again and again. The man had a long tongue, which made all kinds of entertaining ideas come charging into Nikki's fevered brain. She let her hands slide down his chest to his hips, moving inside the warm, supple black leather to grip the muscular curves of Lord Zakuro's perfect ass.

Lord Zakuro tore his mouth from hers. His breathing was ragged, his green eyes ablaze. "How do you want it, sweet Nikki? Tell me now or I'll choose for us."

"The floor would be safest, I think. Just let me spread out this afghan..." Nikki turned away to put one knee on the couch, stretching out to grab the end of the blue and green afghan she used for a blanket when she grabbed the occasional nap in her office.

The sight of Nikki naked in such a provocative pose was too much for Lord Zakuro. He let out a low growl. His belt buckle rattled as his leather pants hit the floor. Lord Zakuro seized Nikki's hips. His knee pressed against hers, pushing her thighs farther apart. One arm slid around her waist, holding her bare back against his chest while his free hand worked the head of his cock against her most sensitive places. Nikki's breath caught in her throat and her blood turned to pure fire.

"Nikki," that deep, rich voice breathed against her ear. "Let me in, love, let me in..."

Nikki groaned, arching her back, pushing back against the delicious pressure. Lord Zakuro thrust hard, sinking deep and driving out a cry of pure molten bliss.

"That's what I like to hear." Lord Zakuro chuckled against the back of her neck. "Tell me what you want, love. Tell me every dirty little daydream you've been thinking about me..."

"Dancing naked..." Nikki ground her hips against his. "Me lying on the bar, you licking me, making me scream so hard I shatter all the glasses..."

"Yes!" Lord Zakuro growled, biting the side of her neck. He put his back into it, thrusting deeper and deeper until he filled her completely, ever new thrust jarring her insides and making her cry out with new heights of pleasure.

The office door shook under three sudden hard blows.

"Nikki!"

The doorknob rattled. "Boss! Are you OK?"

"Nikki! What's wrong?"

"Get lost!" Nikki yelled. "First man through that door gets docked a week's pay!"

Lord Zakuro's triumphant laughter rang out. He buried his face in Nikki's hair, his shoulders heaving. The sudden silence on the other side of the door left Nikki caught between laughing and cursing.

"Boss?" Josh's voice. "Is that guy still in there with you?"

"You heard the lady," Lord Zakuro snapped. "Get lost!"

"Nikki?" Gus called. "Are you all right?"

"She's fine!"

Just as Nikki managed to draw enough breath to speak, Lord Zakuro rolled his hips, a move that sent Nikki's breath gusting out in another cry of raw need.

"Bastard!" She laughed. "Now you're just showing off!"

"Darling lady." Lord Zakuro planted a trail of hot wet kisses up her spine. "I'm just getting warmed up."

He pulled out, caught her shoulders and threw her flat on the couch, covering her with the length of his body and pulling her thighs up around his waist. Before any of the angry words surging to mind could leave Nikki's mouth, Lord Zakuro buried himself inside her again, matching that with a kiss that made her head spin. There was nothing to do but abandon herself to him.

When Nikki's breathing turned so harsh she had to break the kiss, Lord Zakuro bent his head to her breasts, teasing her nipples with his long tongue. Nikki wailed, her back arching, her nails digging into his shoulders. He slipped one hand between their bodies and, mindful of his long nails, found that spot that sent Nikki hurtling upward toward the place where every sensation in her body gathered into one overwhelming supernova. When it hit, she clung to him, kissing him with a fervor she hadn't felt in ages, her inner muscles working him until he threw his head back and let out a roar. His hips slammed into hers with almost bruising force, scalding her with the heat and power of his release.

After a while Nikki came back to herself. She looked down to see Lord Zakuro's shaggy head of lavender hair resting on her breast. His eyes were closed, his breathing deep and regular. Nikki was startled to realized that even his eyelashes were lavender. When she tried to straighten one leg to ease a cramp, those emerald eyes opened. Lord Zakuro raised his head, glanced around, then looked down at her. He smiled, planting a soft kiss on her lips.

"Are you well, my lady?"

"I am, my lord." She stroked his cheek, smoothing his hair back from his face. "Will you really be leaving so soon?"

"Oh, I think I might be persuaded to stay for a day or two." He shifted his hips, making her gasp at the unflagging hardness still buried inside her. "Perhaps more."

"Only perhaps?"

"It all depends on the persuasion."

"So what you're saying is, the more you want to, the longer you will?"

"A great truth in so many contexts."

Lord Zakuro bent his head to lick a wet path between Nikki's breasts, up her throat to her lips.

"Besides," he added, nibbling at her lower lip. "I can hardly leave before my mistress gives me her permission to depart."

"Good point." Nikki rubbed her thigh along his, caressing his calf with her foot. "I can foresee having a great need for your services, my lord. This might turn out to be a, shall we say, extended vacation."

Lord Zakuro rolled his hips against Nikki's, the fires rekindling in the emerald depths of his eyes.

"I live only to please my mistress."

"Liar."

"Yes, but not at the moment."

END


End file.
